Seating just 24 guests each night, Otoko is a minimalist, fine sushi concept hidden on the grounds of South Congress Hotel in Austin.

Otoko (男 translated as man, warrior, bro, strong man) is through a breezeway, then upstairs, through a door and into the dark, tucked away within South Congress Hotel. At the helm is Kyoto born Yoshi Okai serving 22 courses of kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine. The intimate space is a jewel box equal parts “Japanese” and Kubrickian, perfectly executed by Los Angeles’ Studio MAI.

The identity system uses a series of custom marks built from scratch in various radii dot sequences, inspired by the suction cups of squid tentacles. When animated, the marks ‘twinkle’ like Shibuya Station on a rainy night.

The system is supported by a minimalist take on a traditional Japanese Noren (暖簾), an embossing machine that hammers the phone number into blank stock, and a series of ink wash studies that form both the menu and the animated background of the booking site.